The present invention relates to a skateboard, and especially to a skateboard which can be held against the riders feet while the rider is performing maneuvers on the skateboard.
Skateboards have been in existence for many years, but in recent years have been developed to provide an extremely precise and skillful art. The boards normally consist of an elongated platform, having a pair of wheel truck assemblies attached to the bottom thereof with wheels attached thereto. The trucks are designed, such that, the rider of the skateboard can perform a wide variety of intricate maneuvers and obtain extremely high speeds. In addition, the boards are extremely durable to resist damage thereto, even at high speed or during severe impact when performing maneuvers. Normally the difficulties in performing with prior skateboards, has been due to the fact that the operator has contact with the skateboard only with his feet. This limits the operators coordination of the body and skateboard when doing maneuvers, such as where the entire skateboard and rider leave the surface, or whenever the front or rear wheels leave the surface which the board is rolling upon.
The present invention is adapted to allow the rider to hold the board against both feet during all types of maneuvers when the front or rear wheels are off the roller surface and when both sets of wheels are off the surface.
Prior art skateboards have provided various types of handles attached to flexible lines or to rigid upright members. These prior art hand supports are attached to the front of the skateboard, such as shown in the Whitacre U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,325 to give the rider support and to allow the rider to lift the front end of the skateboard. U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,134 to Atkinson provides for a removable trainer handle and brake for a skateboard in which a handle is attached to a rigid upright member attached to the front portion of the skateboard. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,500 to Campeau, a wheel board of a different type has a rigid handle extending from the front to the back of the board. The closest prior art to the present invention may be seen in the Scardenzan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,639 for a skateboard which incorporates a special braking device at the rear end thereof for safety purposes and provides for a flexible line to be tethered to the forward end which may be grasped by the rider and in connection with the foot allows the skateboard to be pulled forward to push the braking device against the rolling surface. In one embodiment, a retractable reel is used to allow the extension of the forwardly supported line. This patent is directed towards a different purpose than the present invention, in that, the cord needs to be attached as far forward as possible to allow the skateboard to be pulled forward to push the brake surface against the roller surface and cannot be used for supporting a skateboard platform against both feet of the rider during intricate maneuvers. This board, in fact, has a foot binding attached thereto, to assist in the operation and support of one of the feet to the board.